Controversies
Record 45% of Iraq and Afghanistan Vets Applying for Disability Benefits
America’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have produced a record number of veterans seeking disability benefits from the federal government.
About 45% of the 1.6 million men and women who served in the two wars have filed claims with the Departme... read more
Judge Jails Honor Student with Two Jobs for Missing School
With no parents around and two siblings to support, 17-year-old high school student Diane Tran of Houston, Texas, has had to work two jobs while taking college prep classes. For all her work and dedication Tran recently found herself spending a ni... read more
Two Female Officers Sue Pentagon for Right to Join Combat Units
Despite official policies supposedly excluding women in the military from combat, more than “800 women have been wounded and over 130 women have died” in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court in the Distri... read more
The Shrinking World of Available Dental Care
Fifty million Americans lack health insurance, a substantial portion of the U.S. population. But an even larger number of Americans have no dental insurance—130 million.
For many the problem stems from the fact that many employers don’t pay fo... read more
AT&T Leads in Tower Worker Deaths
It is one of the most dangerous jobs in America, with a death rate 10 times that of construction work: tower workers. Nearly 100 of these climbers have died on the job since 2003, more than half of them working on cell phone towers and the rest on... read more
Another State Reports Uncontrolled Rise in Prescription Drug Abuse
Prescription drug abuse and overdoses are overwhelming state officials in Tennessee.
Nearly 18 million prescriptions for controlled substances such as OxyContin and hydrocodone (the primary ingredient of Vicodin) were dispensed in the state du... read more
The One-Man Death Panel: Obama’s Counter-Terrorism Advisor
John Brennan, counterterrorism advisor to President Barack Obama, has reportedly taken on the lead role in selecting which terrorists will be targeted for drone attacks or raids by the U.S. military or the CIA.
Brennan and his small team at th... read more
Zuckerberg and Big Banks Hit with Lawsuits after Suspicious Facebook Stock Launch
The fallout from Facebook’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) now includes three lawsuits filed against the social media giant and the banks that helped it go public.
At least three shareholder lawsuits allege Facebook and its creator Mark Zuckerb... read more
Milwaukee Police Lowered Crime Rate…by Misreporting Violent Assaults
Earlier this year Milwaukee’s police chief, Edward Flynn, proclaimed crime had gone down four years in a row under his watch—an achievement that helped him become the city’s first chief in 27 years to secure a second four-year contract. An investi... read more
Leaked Memo Supports Claim that Veterans Imperiled by Burn Pits in Afghanistan
After years of claiming no link between open-air pits of burning garbage in Iraq and Afghanistan and the health problems of war veterans, the U.S. military has documented that there may indeed be a correlation between the two.
In an April 2011... read more
Former JPMorgan Lobbyist Expected to Direct Senate Investigation of…JPMorgan
If JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon appears before the congressional investigation into his firm’s multi-billion-dollar trading loss, he will find a familiar, and perhaps friendly, face staring at him from across the room.
That’s because the Sen... read more
Is It Time to Allow the Public Free Access to Federally-Funded Research?
Americans should not have to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars just to read the product of taxpayer-funded research, says Representative Mike Doyle (D-Pennsylvania), who has introduced legislation creating free public access.
Currently... read more
Federal Judge Rules General Mills Is Allowed to Mislead Consumers about “Fruit” Products that Contain No Fruit
Fruit Roll-Ups and other manufactured fruit snacks by General Mills do not contain real fruit, but that’s okay, said a federal judge ruling in a lawsuit seeking an end to the misleading advertising.
Bay Area mother Annie Lam filed a class acti... read more
Small Business Administration Intervenes on Behalf of Formaldehyde Makers
The Small Business Administration (SBA), which has nothing to do with regulating harmful chemicals, has sided with large manufacturers opposing the government’s listing of formaldehyde as a carcinogen.
Within the SBA is the Office of Advocacy,... read more
More and More Americans Finding Health Care Unaffordable
Americans with and without health insurance are increasingly finding health care too expensive to see a doctor in a timely manner, according to a new study.
In 2000, one out of eight adults said they had “unmet medical” needs due to cost issue... read more
After 50 and 70 Years of Voting, Two 93-Year-Olds Sue to Keep Right to Vote without Photo ID
Viviette Applewhite, 93, of Philadelphia has become the face of a civil liberties lawsuit against the state of Pennsylvania for requiring voters to show identification before voting. The new requirement was signed into law by Republican Governor T... read more